speaker, i hope that this assault on religion and the public square will end soon. i'm very saddened by the recent events. i'm angered by the tactics. freedom for religious foundation, and above all i'm determined to ensure that the religious heritage of our great nation will not be cast aside. i yield back, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from oregon, mr. blumenauer, for five minutes. mr. plaur: there is a great deal of -- mr. blumenauer: there is a great deal of hyperactive rhetoric about the fiscal cliff and the trouble ahead. the fact is that people should just take a deep breath and focus on where we are and where we need to go. first of all, it's not a fiscal cliff but a slope. there are many opportunities for us in the weeks ahead to be able to change the unsustainable trajectory of america's financial future. there are many efforts already evident and people taking steps to try and cope with it. the president campaigned very explicitly on raising the top tax rates. it was something that was